The present invention relates to a refrigerated merchandiser, and more particularly, to a refrigerated merchandiser including a power generation system that uses airflow movement to generate power for one or more components in the refrigerated merchandiser.
Refrigerated merchandisers generally include a case defining a product display area for supporting and displaying food products to be visible and accessible through an opening in the front of the case. Refrigerated merchandisers are generally used in retail food store applications such as grocery or convenient stores or other locations where food product is displayed in a refrigerated condition. Some refrigerated merchandisers include doors to enclose the product display area of the case and reduce the amount of cold air released into the surrounding environment. The doors typically include one or more glass panels that allow a consumer to view the food products stored inside the case. Other merchandisers do not have doors, but utilize one or more air curtains directed across the product display area to separate the refrigerated environment of the product display area from the ambient environment surrounding the merchandiser.
Refrigerated merchandisers also often include one more electrical components, such as fans, light bulbs, etc. that are located within the refrigerated merchandisers and are powered by outside electrical sources. Over time, use of these electrical components results in high electrical costs.